>> in the congress of the united states, i believe, in the house of representatives, there is simply, even with the reforms nancy pelosi has pledged to accept based on my counterparts in the problem solvers caucus, there is too much power in into few -- in twoo few hands. >> watch saturday at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span and www.c-span.org, and listen with the free c-span radio app. where history unfolds daily. 1979, c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television companies. and today, we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington, d.c., and

around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. a look now at the arrival of the white house christmas tree in mid-november. following this, the holiday decorations inside the white house. the national christmas tree lighting ceremony with president trump and first lady melania trump, followed by the capitol christmas tree lighting ceremony with house speaker paul ryan and others. [o christmas tree] ♪

♪

♪ ♪ ♪

♪

♪ [applause] pres. trump: merry christmas,

everybody. we have to say it altogether. mary, merry christmas -- merry, merry christmas. we will do it all in reverse. 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. [cheering] pres. trump: merry christmas, thank you. ♪ world]mental joy to the ♪

pleasees and gentlemen, welcome the united states secretary of the interior, ryan zinke. [applause] mr. zinke: merry christmas, america. we are blessed to live in a country where christmas is of ourted and the spirit

family and of charity is alive and well. our national parks, america's best idea, tell a story of this great nation. from the iconic parks of the west lake yellowstone and yosemite, to president trump's newest monument, camp nelson, where over 10,000 black americans joined the union army to fight for their freedom. [applause] thank you, mr. president. these parks and public lands showcase a nation rich in diversity, heritage and national wonder. encourage every american to visit our celebrated national parks and, yes, find your park. i also ask this season you keep in your mind and hearts the empty seats at the family dinner tables across this great land. whether it is a loved one currently deployed or one that has given the ultimate sacrifice

for our country. our warmest thoughts and prayers go out to those members and their families who defend this great land. thank you for your sacrifice. [applause] lastly, it is my high honor to introduce the man who has made america strong and safe again. as a former navy seal commander, i know that this president and commander in chief loves our troops and will always have their back. ladies and gentlemen, may i introduce the president of the united states, donald j. trump, and his lovely wife, first lady melania. ♪

mr. zinke: the man who brought christmas back to america. [applause] pres. trump: thank you very much. ryan, i want to thank you for doing such a beautiful job throughout the season. welcome, everyone. merry christmas. a special time of the year. are thrilled to be here today as we celebrate one of the nation's most cherished traditions, the lighting of the national christmas tree. tonight's ceremony is only possible because of the hard work of the many talented individuals that were working late at night, they were working

early in the morning, they were working all the time. my sincere thanks to everyone at the national parks service and the national park foundation. thank you very much, appreciate it. let me also extend my deeper appreciation to all of tonight's wonderful entertainers. great talents, they are going on to great things, many of them. i have seen them in their something very special. thank you very much, that was a great job tonight. this includes one very special group that has topped billboard charts multiple times, the dominican sisters, who i met backstage, from ann arbor, michigan. a very special recognition to the students who designed stunning ornaments to decorate 56 different christmas trees here in president park. thank you, students. thank you very much.

when they were doing the 56 trees there was one for each in ournd the territories magnificent country. we truly have a great country. we are proud of it and we love it deeply. for christians all across our around the world, this is a sacred season that again 2000 years ago when jesus christ was born. in angel the clare the shepherds defending their flocks, behold, i bring you good tidings, great joy, which will be to all his born inunto you the city, a savior, which is christ the lord. in bethlehem mary and joseph held in their hands the son of god, the light of the world, and through him, the

promise of eternal salvation. beliefs, one's face or the christmas season reflects all that is best in the american spirit. this is a time of the year for rejoicing with our family and friends. we are spreading charity and commitment all over this country and in all of our communities, and for giving thanks to all of the blessings in our lives. we are especially thankful to the countless americans who have given their time and passion to help those in need. here in the audience today are number of extraordinary families and guardians joined by the beautiful children they have welcomed into their homes, and beautiful children they are. your devotion inspires us all to every child in foster care. you are the precious loved one and the gift of god. thank you.

thank you. very, very special. at this time of the year we renew the bonds of affection between our fellow citizens and we awaken the faith and our hearts that calls each of us to action. loved ones, our thoughts turn to those who are rebuilding their lives after devastating wildfires, destructive hurricanes, and terrible tragedy. we are one american family. we hurt together, we heal together, and we will always pull through together. this is the united states of america, we are the best in the world and there is nobody close. tonight we honor the first responders who risked their lives to save the lives of others. and all of america sends our

profound gratitude to the incredible men and women of the united states military. [applause] i am proud to say our military right now is stronger than ever before. [applause] their families are all our soilies, and we thank them much for their greatness and the incredible job they do. thank you to the united states military. thank you very much. we ask god to watch over this nation's heroes as he shared -- shed his almighty grace upon our nation. we pray that america's light will shine more brightly than ever, and it will. on behalf of melania and myself and the entire trump family, many of whom are with us tonight, i want to wish you all a very merry christmas.

may this christmas season bring peace to your hearts, warmth to your homes, cheer to your spirit, and joy to the world. merry christmas, everyone. merry christmas and god bless you. thank you very much. [applause] >> folks, it was 214 years ago the explorers lewis and clark set out for the west coast of the united states of america. they were forging a trail, trail that sent them across the great plains, took them through the rockies, down the columbia river and to the great old growth

forests of the pacific northwest. those forests have been part of our culture and economy ever since. statet, nearly 20% of our we national forests, and love those forests. everything they bring us in commerce and pleasure and every possible feeding of the soul. now we have a moment when that trail has been traveled in reverse. thise people of oregon, tree up on a large truck set out to retrace lewis and clark coming backwards, and stopping in key points they traveled on and different communities to celebrate america, to celebrate the trail. the folks in those communities did a variety of things. they signed a banner on the truck, they did postcards.

they really reflected on that journey, that connection, under this theme of find your trail. so they made it all the way back here. and isn't this the most christmaspeople's tree in the history of the united states of america? [applause] not merkley: if you were sharing, you are not from oregon. grandestne of the most varieties of fir. i have never seen one so extraordinarily symmetrical. it is like the national forest said, let's grow the most perfect tree ever to share with the entire united states of america. in this season of joy, season of let us join together in that spirit which unifies america, of lifting everyone up across our country together, and

in so doing, let's each of us find our trail. take care, and merry christmas. [applause] >> thank you, senator merkley. please welcome congressman peter dubois zero. this year -- peter deblasio. he represents the fourth congressional district. congressman deblasio. [applause] mr. deblasio: i am really proud to represent the fourth district . thecity of sweet aum -- city. it is the 125th anniversary of of sweet home.

someone finally had the good noble asto choose a our christmas tree. it is my favorite christmas tree. oregon is a little different place, for those of you not from oregon. this is 35 years old. we grow them quick and big and oregon. we have the most productive forest lands in united states of america. as vicki knows, we are always having discussions over how we better manage our forest. i am pleased to have her as the new chief. she is our neighbor, she understands the forest, our environment. jeff and others talked about the tree, replaced -- tracing it in reverse. trail servicel

happened in 1968, it was a pretty tumultuous time in the united states. lyndon johnson was looking for to perhaps unify people. we have five national trails in our state and when he proposed this to congress he said, but the beauty of the american outdoors must not be a holiday treat, but part of our daily life and a resource that ought to be available to every american. dth our five trails in the alles and the magnificent will limit forest, -- and the magnificent willamette forest. this allows everyone across the country to come together and enjoy oregon's beauty and bounty during the holiday season. i am pleased to call oregon home. and it is an honor to have our

tree here as the national christmas tree to celebrate this special time of year. i hope this tree inspires all of you here to go out and find your own trail. again as president johnson said 50 years ago, beauty belongs to all the people. and this is beauty. thank you very much. [applause] congressman, deblasio. i have the great privilege to introduce the speaker of the house of representatives. paul ryan has served the people of the first congressional district of wisconsin since 1999. 2015 and speaker in continues the tradition of lighting the capital christmas tree. ladies and gentlemen, the honorable paul ryan. [applause] mr. ryan: thank you, thank you.

tost, i want you oregonians know your senator, ron wyden, long time friend of mine, led me into a pronunciation lecture. oregon, willamette, i could go it with thisd baseball hat that reminded me of a rose bowl six years ago i was hoping to forget about. [laughter] but, i digress. what a beautiful tree. this is a beautiful occasion. i want to thank everyone who had a hand in pulling this altogether. thank you to the folks from willamette, oregon. bridgette and everyone who made this possible. thank you for this wonderful journey. [applause] i know that is very much no small task, especially when a tree comes all the way from oregon. i want to thank my colleagues from the oregon delegation. earl, to thank eal --

susan, peter, and your two senators. one who has a better happen the other one. this is my fourth and final time leading this event. each time the tree is more stunning. we have a pretty nice trees in wisconsin, so maybe one of these days we get a wisconsin tree here, i have to say this noble fir is the best i have seen. it is a gorgeous tree. i also think it is a great time to come together. i think we are reminded because of what we did here this week in the capital, the fact that we lost a giant in our nation this week, and the loss of george h.w. bush was a great sorrow, but it also reminds us of the man who was a beacon of joy. a few days after one of his granddaughters was born, president bush wrote her a letter. he ends the letter saying how

you can do all these incredible things in life, but even with all that he writes, what counts his family and love. he did not necessarily write about christmas, but is there anything which better captures the spirit, its light? we celebrate christmas year after year and somehow it never becomes less special. it is a season dedicated to wonder and faith. we take our joy at the birth of a savior heralded by angels and we spread that joy to all others in their lives. i think we could say we could all use a little bit more of that. sometimes our best blessings are hidden. my favorite christmas movie is "its a wonderful life." it captures this idea so well. i watch it every year. it is black and white. i try to convince my three

teenagers to watch a black and white movie with their father. in this movie, george bailey despairs he has fallen short in life. imagine thear to world would be better off without him. only when an angel comes to him and reveals how much he is loved, how much he is worth, how much of an impact he has had on others, only then does he realize he truly has a wonderful life. we all have angels in our own lives to remind us of our own blessings. there is so much good, so much joy, so much compassion all around us, but we often simply fail to see it. hidden.ere, but it is all it needs is a few points to the light. in a moment we will like this tree. -- light this tree.

we will bring inexpert to help us do this. we have a brilliant young expert. this year we have bridgett harrington from hillsboro. a contest with her palm about oregon's outdoors and what oregon's outdoors mean to her. i would like her to come up and read a few lines from her poem. [applause] month before christmas and all through my mind swirled thoughts of my oregon all intertwined the four seasons how extraordinary each one-of-a-kind plus memories galore for my mind to read wide the winter have beautiful

the snow began to fall i quickly grabbed my mittens to make a chilly snowball the snowman we created sat proudly in my yard. melted,d there until he a snowy, frosty guard. the raindrops have a pattern, the wind gusts have a -- how they blew in oregon this makes us special, through and through do not be disappointed, for a can make such -- bring such joy better than a toy in thinking of the springtime birds began to chime the tulips and the daffodils made for a colorful time. it was time to plant my garden, the seeds went in the ground, i watched each day as lance popped up and roots became earthbound onto summer, sunny days, the

earth was in its glory, picking apples, berries and speeches, so sweet like a fairytale story. hiking in the green, lush forest evergreens abound watching wildlife and elk appear, animals all around. time for fall, it was really here, brilliant leaves ablaze byves soon fell down, one one, into my gaze. finally to the pumpkin patch, what should i choose? around, et al., a skinny one it would amuse. it is time to cut our christmas tree. we have to find the right one. cannot wait to get it inside, all decorated and done. as i close my eyes for sleep, thinking of my home, our state, my oregon,

how glad i am here. [applause] mr. ryan: beautiful. let's hear it for brigette. are going to do a count down. you have the switch right here. i am really hoping this works. 4, 3, 2, 1. let her rip. [applause] ♪ ]instrumental o christmas tree ms. merdon: thank you for coming

to tonight's ceremony. joining us, the united states navy band, and the young brigette in lighting the capitol christmas tree. ♪ [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2018] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> the united states senate, legislating and carrying out constitutional duties since 1789. >> please raise your right hand>>. 2,on wednesday january c-span takes you inside the senate, learning about the senate body and its internal workings. its history with conflict and compromise with original interviews. >> we are arguing about things and kicking them around and having great debates is a

thoroughly american thing. >> key moments in history and unprecedented access, allowing us to bring cameras into the chamber during a session. follow the evolution of the senate into the modern era. advice and consent to their role in impeachment proceedings and investigation. the senate, conflict and compromise, c-span original production exploring the oftory, tradition and role this uniquely american institution, prepares wednesday january 2 at 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on c-span. be sure to go online at to learnn.org/senate more about the program and watch original full-length programs with senators, speeches from long serving members, and to a tour inside the senate chamber, the old senate chamber, and other exclusive locations.

♪ >> this week join washington journal for authors way, with five-minute segments each morning with a new author, beginning at 8:30 a.m. eastern. discussesan williams his book "what the hell does he have to lose?" and, "the case against impeaching trump." "squeezed: why families cannot afford america." matters: how"sex feminism lost touch with science, love and common sense." and "the view from flyover country." and "american overdosed." join us for authors week this week.

saturday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, conversations with three retiring members of congress, peter roskam, duncan and hoskin reflect on our time in congress. >> we go on our app, our devices. this 13 yearse after he wrote the declaration of independence. he said the ground of liberty is to be gained by inches. we must be contents what we can get from time to time and the terminally work for what is yet to get. it takes time to persuade men even to do what is for their own good. my point is that we culturally need to step back and say look, these things take time. we have to take small steps in order to get there. >> to think we have spent trillions now on these wars and the war in afghanistan is now i think it isars, just ridiculous and i think also

these wars and our foreign policy have caused us to have more enemies. they have done more harm than good. >> in the congress of the united states i believe in the house of representatives, even with the has pledged pelosi to accept, based on my too muchrts, there is power and too little getting done for the american people. withtch conversations retiring members of congress on c-span andp.m. listen with the free c-span radio app. former secretary of state condoleezza right moderated a discussion on the evolution of communications and its effect on democracy. she joined british is -- historian neil